CE 343

Geotechnical Engineering II

SLOPE STABILITY

Department of Civil Engineering

 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 In 1955, Bishop proposed a more refined solution to the
ordinary method of slices.

 In this method, the effect of forces on the sides of each

slice are accounted for to some degree.

 This method can be represented by the aid of Fig. 17a,

17b and 17c.

 The forces that act on the nth slice are shown in Fig.
17b.
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES

(a)

Figure 17
Bishop’s Simplified
Method of Slices
a) Trial Failure
Surface
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES

(b) (c)

Figure 17
Bishop’s Simplified
Method of Slices
b) Forces acting on
nth slice
c) Force Polygon for
equilibrium
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 Now, let

and

Also,

(56)
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 From the force polygon (Fig. 17c),

or

or

(57)
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES

(b) (c)

Figure 17
Bishop’s Simplified
Method of Slices
b) Forces acting on
nth slice
c) Force Polygon for
equilibrium
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 For equilibrium of the wedge of ordinary slice method,
taking moment about ,

(58)
Where,

(59)
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES

(a)

Figure 17
Bishop’s Simplified
Method of Slices
a) Trial Failure
Surface
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 Substitution of Eqs. 57 and 59 into Eq. 58,

(60)
Where,

(61)
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
 For simplicity, if we let in Eq. 60,

(62)

 Term is present on both sides of Eq. 62.

 Hence a trial & error method should be adopted to find

the value of .

 As in the method of ordinary slice, a number of failure

surfaces must be investigated so as to find the critical
surface that provides minimum factor of safety.
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
EXAMPLE 08
 Forthe slope shown in Fig. 18 , find the factor of safety
against sliding for the trial slip surface using the Bishop’s
modified method of slices.

Given:
 C
B

Fig. 18
Example 08
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
  Trial 01 : when, is assumed
Slice
No. (ft) (ft) (degrees)
1
1 2.42
2.42 6.58
6.58 1592.36
1592.36 75.00
75.00 1538.10
1538.10 0.71
0.71 1729.36
1729.36
2 7.00 17.17 12019 58.00 10192.69 0.93 7569.46
2 7.00 17.17 12019 58.00 10192.69 0.93 7569.46
3 7.00 21.92 15344 42.00 10267.14 1.06 8107.76
3 7.00 21.92 15344 42.00 10267.14 1.06 8107.76
4 7.00 19.92 13944 29.00 6760.19 1.10 7179.31
4 7.00 19.92 13944 29.00 6760.19 1.10 7179.31
5 7.00 15.92 11144 18.00 3443.69 1.10 6023.39
5 7.00 15.92 11144 18.00 3443.69 1.10 6023.39
6 7.00 10.50 7350 8.00 1022.92 1.06 4574.98
6
7 7.00
7.00 10.50
3.83 7350
2681 8.00
-3.00 1022.92
-140.31 1.06
0.97 4574.98
2720.29
7 7.00
44.42 3.83 2681
64074.36 -3.00 -140.31
33084.41 0.97 2720.29
37904.54
44.42 64074.36 33084.41 37904.54
𝑛= 𝑝
  ∑ ( 𝑐 ′ 𝑏 𝑛+𝑊 𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛 ∅ ′ ) 𝑚1
𝑛=1 𝛼 (𝑛) 37904.54
𝐹 𝑠= = =𝟏 . 𝟏𝟓 >𝟏 . 𝟎𝟎
𝑛= 𝑝
33084.41
∑ 𝑊 𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑛
𝑛=1
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
  Trial 02 : when, is assumed
Slice
No. (ft) (ft) (degrees)
1
1 2.42
2.42 6.58
6.58 1592.36
1592.36 75.00
75.00 1538.10
1538.10 0.61
0.61 2026.33
2026.33
2 7.00 17.17 12019 58.00 10192.69 0.83 8397.61
2 7.00 17.17 12019 58.00 10192.69 0.83 8397.61
3 7.00 21.92 15344 42.00 10267.14 0.98 8701.55
3 7.00 21.92 15344 42.00 10267.14 0.98 8701.55
4 7.00 19.92 13944 29.00 6760.19 1.05 7536.52
4 7.00 19.92 13944 29.00 6760.19 1.05 7536.52
5 7.00 15.92 11144 18.00 3443.69 1.06 6212.01
5 7.00 15.92 11144 18.00 3443.69 1.06 6212.01
6 7.00 10.50 7350 8.00 1022.92 1.04 4640.85
6
7 7.00
7.00 10.50
3.83 7350
2681 8.00
-3.00 1022.92
-140.31 1.04
0.98 4640.85
2704.65
7 7.00
44.42 3.83 2681
64074.36 -3.00 -140.31
33084.41 0.98 2704.65
40219.52
44.42 64074.36 33084.41 40219.52
𝑛= 𝑝
  ∑ ( 𝑐 ′ 𝑏 𝑛+𝑊 𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛 ∅ ′ ) 𝑚1
𝑛=1 𝛼 (𝑛) 40219.52  
𝐹 𝑠= = =𝟏 . 𝟐𝟐 <𝟏 . 𝟑𝟎
𝑛= 𝑝
33084.41
∑ 𝑊 𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑛
𝑛=1
 Slope
Slope Stability
Stability
BISHOP’S SIMPLIFIED METHOD
OF SLICES
EXAMPLE 08 : SOLUTION
 Since,

for

and

for

So, lies between 1.00 and 1.20 and it can be taken as an

average of 1.15 and 1.22